The spotlight on workplace sexual harassment since fall 2017 has led to high-profile resignations, terminations and lawsuits. And while the revelations and consequences have prompted ongoing, national conversations about appropriate behavior, only 32 percent of working Americans said that their employer has taken new steps to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

According to employees, the most common action taken was simply reminding employees of existing sexual harassment training or resources (18 percent).

Workplace Sexual Harassment: Are Employers Actually Responding? from APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence was conducted online by Harris Poll from Feb. 15-March 1, 2018, among 1,512 U.S. adults who are employed full-time, part-time or self-employed. The data were collected as part of APA’s 2018 Work and Well-Being Survey. While the lack of meaningful change is not entirely surprising, it is disappointing, said David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, director of APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence. “The #MeToo movement has given business leaders an opportunity to finally take real action addressing a complex problem that has been pervasive for generations,” Ballard said. “Our survey – as well as anecdotal reports – shows that too few employers are making comprehensive efforts that can have significant impact. Avoiding the issue is bad for employee well-being and business, but so, too, is a narrow, compliance-based approach. We know from psychological science that relying solely on mandated training designed primarily to limit the organization’s legal liability is unlikely to be effective.”

Only 10 percent of U.S. workers said their employer has added more training or resources related to sexual harassment since the recent increased media and public attention on this serious workplace problem. Just 8 percent said their employer implemented a more stringent policy related to sexual harassment, and only 7 percent reported that their employer hosted an all-staff meeting or town hall to discuss sexual harassment.

Research has shown training to recognize and report sexual harassment isn’t enough to change employee behavior or a workplace culture where harassment is more likely to occur. Instead, psychologists recommend a comprehensive approach that incorporates fair policies that are clearly communicated, ongoing training, leadership support of a civil and respectful culture, and the hiring and promotion of women into senior leadership roles.

The survey showed the difference when women have representation in upper management. Employees in organizations that have women in senior leadership roles said they were more likely to report sexual harassment at work if they experienced it (56 percent) or witnessed it (55 percent), and confront a coworker who is engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior at work (53 percent), compared with employees in organizations that don’t have women in senior leadership roles (39 percent, 41 percent and 34 percent, respectively).

The survey also found links between increased efforts to prevent and address workplace sexual harassment and better employee and organizational outcomes more broadly. When new steps had been taken, employees were more likely to say they were in good psychological health (90 percent vs. 79 percent) and that their employer provides the necessary resources to help employees meet their mental health needs (76 percent vs. 36 percent) and manage their stress (63 percent vs. 31 percent). They also reported higher job satisfaction (86 percent vs. 60 percent) and motivation to do their best at work (89 percent vs. 64 percent) and were more likely to say they’d recommend their organization as a good place to work (79 percent vs. 51 percent), than those who said their employer had not taken any new steps.

“Sexual harassment at work occurs within a broader context,” Ballard said. “For training to produce long-term changes, the organization’s workplace practices need to align with and support the individual attitudes and behaviors it’s trying to promote. Leaders in a psychologically healthy workplace model civility, respect, fairness and trust. In an organizational culture where every employee feels safe, supported and included, people can be their best, and that’s good for people and profits.”

While most employers have been slow in taking new steps to address harassment, the ongoing headlines and resulting conversations may be encouraging individual employees to take action. About half of U.S. workers say they are now more likely to report workplace sexual harassment if they experience it (50 percent) or witness it (51 percent), and that they are more likely to confront a coworker who is engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior at work (47 percent).

About the Center for Organizational Excellence
APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence works to enhance the functioning of individuals, groups, organizations and communities through the application of psychology to a broad range of workplace issues. The center houses the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program, a public education initiative designed to engage the employer community, raise public awareness about the value psychology brings to the workplace and promote programs and policies that enhance employee well-being and organizational performance.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association between February 15 and March 1, 2018, among a nationally representative sample of 1,512 adults age 18 and older who reside in the U.S. and were employed full time, part time or self-employed. Data are weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. A full methodology is available upon request.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

While it’s no surprise that men own more businesses than women, some studies suggest their revenues and job creation rates apparently lag behind their female peers. That’s part of a larger analysis conducted by FitSmallBusiness.com, the digital business publication.

More than 75 percent of businesses are male-owned, so it might logically follow that men are more successful entrepreneurs than women. But data analyzed by FitSmallBusiness.com suggests that in reality, women tend to be more effective leaders, they create more jobs, have a larger appetite for growth, and significantly improve startup company performance. When you consider all the statistics, women entrepreneurs outperformed male entrepreneurs.

HERE is the full list of reasons why women are better entrepreneurs than men.

The publication researched and analyzed data from key sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau; Dow Jones, the Harvard Business Review, and others, to provide readers with these 5 reasons why women entrepreneurs are more successful than men:

With a rapidly growing monthly readership of more than 1.2 million, FitSmallBusiness.com is an online publication devoted to helping small business owners. Its full-time staff of writers spends hours of research, data analysis, and interviews with industry experts to answer the questions that owners want in order to run a successful small business.

For more information on this list and this topic, please contact Sarah Johnson, 194627@email4pr.com or 917-864-6355.

To identify the Best Women’s Colleges for 2018, College Consensus combined the latest results from the most respected college rankings with thousands of real student reviews to produce a unique consensus score for each school. According to College Consensus founder Jeremy Alder, “Like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic does for movies, College Consensus gathers the publisher rankings and student reviews from around the web and distills the results into simple, easy to understand scores so students can quickly and easily compare schools. It is the ranking of all rankings, so to speak.” Learn more about the College Consensus rankings methodology at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/about/ .

To help prospective college students and their families evaluate the educational options open to them, College Consensus has identified the best women’s colleges, according to the combination of published rankings and student reviews. The top 10, out of more than 30, are:

1. Smith College – Northampton, MA

2. Wellesley College – Wellesley, MA

3. Scripps College – Claremont, CA

4. Bryn Mawr College – Bryn Mawr, PA

5. Barnard College – New York, NY

6. Cottey College – Nevada, MO

7. Mount Holyoke College – South Hadley, MA

8. College of Saint Benedict – St. Joseph, MN

9. Spelman College – Atlanta, GA

10. Simmons College – Boston, MA

“While nearly every other college and university today is coed, women’s colleges remain vibrant, exemplary, and essential to higher education,” Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris explains. A large part of the reason is the fact that “Women are still underrepresented in the highest levels of leadership, from government to finance to entertainment to the tech industry, and we see the consequences daily.” The Consensus Best Women’s College ranking is intended to offer “a panoramic picture of the women’s college landscape” by focusing on the needs of students “looking for a women’s college to build the knowledge, expertise, skills, and confidence to take on the 21st century.” As Sealey-Morris explains, “Women’s colleges give young women of all backgrounds the opportunity to study in an affirming, encouraging community, with some of the most influential and accomplished women in the world.” For college-bound young women who want to walk in the footsteps of America’s great women leaders, the College Consensus ranking points in the right direction.

“College Consensus is designed as an aggregate ranking,” according to Managing Editor Carrie Sealey-Morris, “with a mission of providing prospective students and their families a clearer, more comprehensive view of college rankings.” College Consensus “evens the playing field by giving every perspective an equal voice,” as Sealey-Morris explains: “Unlike other rankings, which are limited by their methodologies […], there’s no gaming College Consensus.” With the College Consensus methodology “students get the data computed into a simple, single rating based on all other ratings, making it the fullest, most objective rankings out there.” By taking the long view, College Consensus can become an invaluable part of a prospective college student’s research process; as Sealey-Morris asserts, “Young women seeking the supportive, inclusive environment of an all-women’s college – from empowering academic programs to the networking power of robust alumni organizations – can look to College Consensus for the full picture.”

We are finally seeing signs that Spring has sprung here in Northeastern Ohio! The days are getting longer and the sun is beginning to peek out more often. Fashionistas of all ages are itching to change over their wardrobes and pack away their winter duds!

Top designers and stylists have chosen the 1980’s as their decade of choice this season. Here is a look at what hit the fashion runways in Paris, London, Milan and New York……

Bold bright colors are back, and can be seen in every category of the fashion industry, with shades of lemon yellow, robin’s egg blue, lilac and pink as common color palettes for the spring lines. The overall silhouette is one that includes over-exaggerated shoulders and ruffles, which are paired with a well-defined higher waistline, giving the appearance of longer legs. The tailored power suit is back in full force but with fun color and textures. Abstract art prints, polka-dots, checkers, and vintage florals are prevalent. Over the top glitzy glam is softened a bit making room for the use of ultra-sheer fabrics, lace, fringe, and sequins to add interesting detailing to party garments. Layers of transparent materials, such as silk and tulle, leave little room to the imagination when it comes to these skin-revealing designs that you will find in both casual daytime pieces and evening gowns a like.

So, what’s on the list of must haves in beauty products and fashion accessories?

Jeweled hair clips, printed handbags, backless mules, and pointy pumps are obvious 80’s throwbacks. Not into the high stiletto heels? You’re in luck as the kitten heel is making a comeback this season. Do you covet handbags? Oversized bags, shoulder totes, crossbody bags and even the micro-mini clutch are accessory items that are not going anywhere soon.

The demand for quality at home skincare regimes and beauty products are continuing to be a focus for many women. Another important factor for shoppers is the number of companies that are striving to use all-natural ingredients and are implementing cruelty free procedures in their manufacturing processes. Bare Minerals, Stila, Tarte, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Urban Decay are among the top picks and are lines that you can find at retail locations such as Ulta Beauty and Sephora.

Watch for these key looks to appear in your favorite stores, have fun and don’t be afraid to step outside the box onto your own runway this spring!

Teri is an Akron native with over 20 years of experience in the creative arts. Her focus is a mix of wardrobe styling, set design and event management. Teri’s experience ranges from intimate social parties, weddings to large fundraising events. Learn more by visiting her website www.ctstyling.com.

Assign Special Status and Approach for African-American and Other Women at High-Risk for Breast Cancer

New American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) breast cancer screening guidelines are the first to recognize that African-American women are at high-risk for the disease and should be screened as such. The ACR and SBI now call for all women to have a risk assessment at age 30 to see if screening earlier than age 40 is needed. The societies also newly-recommend that women previously diagnosed with breast cancer be screened with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The ACR and SBI continue to recommend that women at average breast cancer risk begin screening at age 40.

“The latest scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports a continued general recommendation of starting annual screening at age 40. It also supports augmented and earlier screening for many women. These updates will help save more lives,” said Debra Monticciolo, MD, FACR, chair of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission.

According to 2015 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, since mammography became widespread in the 1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate in women, unchanged for the previous 50 years, has dropped 43 percent. Breast cancer deaths in men, who have the same treatment as women but are not screened, have not declined.

African-American women are less likely to be diagnosed with stage I breast cancer, but twice as likely to die of early breast cancers

African-American women have a higher risk of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations than those of Western European ancestry. These carriers are at much higher risk for breast cancer.

“Since 1990, breast cancer death rates dropped 23 percent in African-American women — approximately half that in whites. We changed our approach to help save more African-American women and others at higher risk from this deadly disease,” said Wendy B. DeMartini, MD, FSBI.

Premiere Community for Women at Midlife and Beyond Steps Out in Shared Message Celebrating Empowerment, Confidence, and Reinvention at Any Age

Forever Fierce Media is pleased to announce the launch of “Chicy Blinders” a branded video inspired by Chico’s #HowBoldAreYou™ campaign, that unabashedly supports bold, fierce, and empowered women to proudly portray exactly who they are … because “Age is Just a Number and Attitude is Everything!”

Recognizing that Fierce is Bold and Bold is Fierce, Forever Fierce Media, the production arm of the Forever Fierce Revolution, a Facebook community that has over five thousand members, has created a video combining both companies’ messages on age positivity. The video will be the debut content for the Forever Fierce Revolution YouTube Channel. On February 19th, International Forever Fierce Day, Chico’s challenged the group to create video content to support Chico’s #HowBoldAreYou™ campaign requesting: “Real women, real ages, real attitude.”

Catherine Grace O’Connell, CEO of Forever Fierce Media, and Age Disruptor states, “Our community focuses on sisterhood, support, reinvention, and rewiring at midlife and beyond. As a demographic we are blessed with vitality, creativity, and a confidence that we are embracing. This was an opportunity to show how fierce and bold our demographic can be. I feel our companies inspire each other and I’m awed at Chico’s message about women embracing their age and unique life experiences, while offering fashion for a wide range of ages and body types. Our companies almost simultaneously created Tees that allow a woman to stand in her power and proclaim and revel in her age with pride. When I saw the Chico’s Tees emblazoned with an individual woman’s age, I jumped at the chance to make a statement!”

At a time where empowerment and achievement for women is front and center, Forever Fierce Media is proud to acknowledge that this video was produced by a woman owned company, directed by female Hollywood Director/Producer Ilyssa Goodman, and cast with real women from our community between the ages of 50 and 70!

About Forever Fierce Media

Inspired by the Forever Fierce Revolution Group on Facebook, the premier community for women at Midlife and Beyond, Forever Fierce Media produces message based promotional and marketing content for national brands that recognize the vitality and critical importance of the 35+ female demographic … and the fact that it controls 80% of the nation’s disposable income. The company features movie industry directors, cinematographers, and exceptional creative talent that can produce cinema quality output with budget savings and reduced lead times.

It has been a long time since business travel was just a man’s world. Today, there’s almost a 50 percent chance that the person across the desk negotiating an important business deal is a woman. To further its mission of empowering all women to achieve economic independence, Dress for Success announced today that it is the official nonprofit partner of National Business Traveler Day (“NBTD”), set for April 24th, 2018.

According to a study by TNS Global, women account for approximately 47 percent of all business travel. “More and more women are increasingly serving as the ‘face’ of companies in critical business dealings around the country,” said Dress for Success CEO, Joi Gordon. “Dress for Success’ participation in National Business Traveler Day will reinforce recognition of the equal and significant role women play in moving our economy forward, especially through business travel. In addition to building awareness, National Business Traveler Day will play an important role in supporting our mission of providing women with the tools they need to build their confidence and succeed in the workplace. Many women we serve may well become future business travelers for their companies.” Since its inception in 1997, Dress for Success has led the way in developing and training more than 1 million women for return to the workforce.

As part of the Upside Business Travel and NBTD partnership with Dress for Success, leading apparel brand UNTUCKit will be donating button down blouses from their women’s line to Dress for Success participants. “UNTUCKit is pleased to be supporting the upcoming National Business Traveler Day and its non-profit partner, Dress for Success. We are proud to be helping empower the women of Dress for Success to look professional and be confident and comfortable in the workplace, ” said UNTUCKit Founder and Executive Chairman Chris Riccobono.

Dress for Success is proud to join NBTD’s founder Upside Business Travel and NBTD’s media partner The Wall Street Journal in this important day of recognition. More than 20 well-known brands, led by United Airlines, XpresSpa, Hertz, Mastercard, and Uber for Business, will participate in the celebration with sweepstakes prizes, promotions, and special events. NBTD is also being supported by 1-800-Flowers.com; 24 Hour Fitness; Audible; BARK, the makers of BarkBox; Blue Bottle Coffee; Global Business Travel Association; Hudson Group, operators of Hudson and Hudson News; iHeartMedia; iPass; JetBlue; Journy; LATAM Airlines; LoungeBuddy; The Points Guy; THNKS; and UNTUCKit.

Dress for Success is an international not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 160 cities in 30 countries and has helped more than one million women work towards self-sufficiency.

About National Business Traveler Day

National Business Traveler Day (NBTD) is an annual event held on April 24th that celebrates, honors, and recognizes the under-appreciated business traveler. More than 20 leading companies support the inaugural NBTD and will shower business travelers with prizes, giveaways, and upgrades, and participate in live events.

About UNTUCKit

One of the fastest-growing men’s retail brands in the country, UNTUCKit was the first to create a signature shirt with perfectly-contoured hemlines and a tailored fit specifically designed to be worn untucked, creating a way for men to look smart and polished while still being casual and comfortable. Since launching in 2011, UNTUCKit has evolved to outfit the whole family with the addition of lines for women and children. Dedicated to creating an unmatched shopping experience, UNTUCKit is one of the most active e-commerce store expansions stories of 2017, with 25 retail locations across the country. To learn more, visit www.untuckit.com.

Hopeologist® Rosalind Tompkins seeks to inspire more than 10,000 ‘hope connections’ in 2018, beginning in April, National Month of Hope

Research studies have found that people who are hopeful excel in life, live longer and live well. But sometimes hope needs a little assist, notes Rosalind Tompkins, creator of the first National Month of Hope, in April.

Through her organization Mothers In Crisis, Tompkins is issuing a Hope Challenge to ordinary people to reach out to folks they know at work or in their community who are feeling hopeless perhaps due to job loss, marital troubles or struggles with addiction.

Calling herself a Hopeologist®, a person who changes the world through hope, Tompkins has set an impressive goal—fostering at least 10,000 “hope chats” this year. She says, “We are challenging people to ‘think hope’ and ‘make hope connections.’ We are planning ‘hope chats’ in our local community where our team will go out to local parks and spread hope every Saturday. We encourage other organizations to do the same in their local communities.”

Tompkins says hope chats can be highly impactful. For example, one member of her team had such a chat with an unemployed father of four whose marriage was floundering. The man thanked her for taking the time to connect with him and two weeks later, let her know that his life was already much better. He had found a job and he and his wife were doing better. The team member was happy too. “She said that she felt good about it because before the Hope Challenge she would have handled the situation totally differently and probably felt hopeless herself,” Tompkins says.

The team member followed the challenge’s seven steps: identify, prepare, go, listen, encourage, empower and wrap up. Among the things she said to him were: “I care about you and wanted to check in with you to see how things are going” and “Just know that I am here for you and I believe that things are going to get better because remember, as long as there is breath in your body, there is hope.”

“We believe that people will come away with the knowledge that things are going to get better and it starts with us,” Tompkins says. “We can have hope and give hope. We can change the world through hope one person at a time.”

About Rosalind Tompkins

Rosalind Tompkins is the founder of Mothers in Crisis, a nonprofit comprised of women and men in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Her humanitarian work has taken her to East, Central, and South Africa, Jamaica and Turkey, to help widows, orphans, and refugees. She also founded Turning Point International Churchand its school of ministry. She has written four books including As Long As There Is Breath In Your Body, There Is Hope.

The Maria Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program with the National Association of Women Business Owners will mentor female entrepreneurs starting in the Spring 2018

Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion, Maria Sharapova, has experienced some monumental moments in her career: Among them are in 2004, with the life-changing win at Wimbledon, and in 2012, with the launch of her own successful candy company, Sugarpova.

Today, in the spirit of philanthropy and women’s empowerment, Sharapova is proud to announce that she is partnering with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) along with her team to mentor female entrepreneurs through the Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program kicking off in Spring 2018 with a nationwide call for applicants from which up to six business women will be selected. Sharapova naturally turned to NAWBO as a partner for finding and identifying potential participants, and as a resource to help develop a robust curriculum for the 12-month-long mentorship program.

“I only wish when I was starting out with my own company, Sugarpova that I had a group of mentors and the team I have now to help guide and support me. I recognize that supporting women – owned businesses by sharing expertise and valuable business resources can have a dramatic impact of growth of a business and can be a real catalyst for advancing the success of a business. Simply put, this partnership is about Women helping Women.”

Over the past six years, Sharapova has learned the many business dimensions of starting a company with all the challenges and hurdles of the real-world experience along the way. Being a young startup, Sharapova wore many hats in growing Sugarpova, her off-the-court business. With Sugarpova reaching global sales penetration with double-digit revenue growth the last several years, Sharapova decided the time is right to pay forward her well-honed business skills – joining with the hefty rolodex and strong relationships of her business team — and set aside time from her busy competitive tennis schedule to help other women entrepreneurs, via mentoring support and networking opportunities and allocating her team’s resources to help grow these women’s businesses.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
The Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program will consist of 6 Women Business Owners that are selected from a nationwide call for applicants by Sharapova, in partnership with NAWBO and the NAWBO Institute. The program will run for 12 months, and is a cohort-based virtual/in-person hybrid program that will include mentorship, peer-to-peer support, mastermind and educational components to be delivered on a monthly basis by NAWBO and the Sharapova Business Resource Team led by Traub Consumer.

Through the Sharapova Women’s Entrepreneur Program and NAWBO partnership, female businesswomen will be selected to receive support and resources from Sharapova’s longtime marketing and business development teams as well as the NAWBO Institute. Each of the women selected will receive support from a range of both NAWBO and Sharapova’s personal business resources in growing their business and in reaching their business goals. Click here to apply.

SHARAPOVA, THE BUSINESSWOMAN:
Off the Court, Sharapova serves as an ambassador to many of the world’s top luxury brands and a number of Fortune 500 companies including Porsche, Nike, Evian and HEAD. Her business interests also include serving as an equity partner in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the fastest growing sports organization in the world; Supergoop!, a skincare company dedicated to SPF protection; and as an investor in charly, a Toronto-based social experience platform.

“The NAWBO Institute is excited about partnering with Maria Sharapova in order to propel women to the next level of their business, said Loreen Gilbert, Chair-elect of the National NAWBO Institute, Executive Board and president of WealthWise Financial Services www.wealthwisefinancial.com. “She is an inspiration, who has graciously agreed to share her expertise, business savvy and tenacity to help other women excel.”

About Sugarpova: Sugarpova continues to have double-digit growth year after year since its launch. Currently, the brand has retail penetration in 22 countries all over the world and is sold in a variety of retail partners and online. The founder is international tennis champion, Maria Sharapova, whose sweet tooth and love for little indulgences motivated her to create a candy company specializing in premium chocolates collection and products, giftables and in gummies and chocolate sweets of quality and craftsmanship. For more information, visit http://www.sugarpova.com

About NAWBO
Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is the unified voice for nearly 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries; and with chapters across the country. NAWBO is a one-stop resource to propelling women business owners into greater economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.

Today, good health goes beyond exercise and diet—it also encompasses what goes on in our mind. When we are feeling depressed or anxious, our bodies react. Over time, this can lead to health problems. There is a story about a wise old doctor whose patient came to see him and said she was depressed. The doctor’s reaction was surprising to her. He said, “That’s good. Now that you know there’s something wrong, you need to make a change in your life!”

Today, women face many issues that can impact their emotional and mental health. This may include how to adjust to changing roles (such as breadwinner wives and stay at home dads), online dating, the choice of whether or not to have children and many more concerns.

When women need help, they often seek counseling. The job of a counselor is to guide patients through the process of addressing issues and creating change in their life. Counselors are taught to remain objective, and what is said to them remains private. There are a variety of options for counseling. Depending on the needs of the patient, counseling may include individual or group sessions, or both.

Sometimes, women are afraid to admit they have an issue and resort to means other than counseling to change how they feel. They may drink too much or use drugs to lessen the mental pain they are experiencing. When these individuals stop using a substance, they are flooded with emotions that are difficult to deal with alone.

It takes courage to seek help but realizing that professional resources are available can help you address the issues in your life and make the necessary changes to become the best version of you. If you would like to learn more about counseling, Southwest General’s Oakview Behavioral Health Services offers an assessment to help determine if you can benefit from group or individual counseling.